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Spanish instructor and other college language teachers: pay, outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$79,350median pay per year, May 2025[1]
  1. $49,060lowest 10% earn less
  2. $62,51025th percentile
  3. $79,350median
  4. $102,73075th percentile
  5. $136,050top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

College teachers of foreign languages and literature had a median pay of $79,350 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 0.2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% for all occupations[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
+0.2%[2]
Openings per year
1,600[6]
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree[7]

How much do college language teachers make?

The BLS category is Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary. Job titles reported by workers include French professor and German professor[8]. The median pay was $79,350 a year[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was $89,990[9]. For all occupations, the median was $50,980[5].

Pay spreads widely. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $49,060, and the 25th percentile was $62,510[4]. At the top, the 75th percentile was $102,730 and the 90th percentile was $136,050[4]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[10].

BLS publishes only annual wages for this job, not hourly ones[11]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and do not include benefits or some bonuses[12].

Pay by state and city

New Hampshire had the highest state median at $101,750, followed by Delaware at $101,100 and California at $99,860[13]. Mississippi had the lowest published median at $54,670[13].

California had the most jobs at 2,170[14]. New York (1,520), Texas (1,460), Pennsylvania (1,060) and Massachusetts (960) followed[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA had the highest median at $171,660, then Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA at $125,980[15]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs at 1,460, with a median of $98,600[16].

Show median pay in 44 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
New Hampshire[13]$101,750150
Delaware$101,10070
California$99,8602,170
Massachusetts$98,750960
Maine$96,97070
New York$95,1201,520
Oregon$91,670510
Maryland$87,280280
Nevada$84,98090
Michigan$83,190500
Illinois$81,530690
South Dakota$81,08040
Minnesota$80,650410
Connecticut$80,630340
Montana$79,97080
Iowa$79,880210
New Jersey$79,060850
District of Columbia$78,930360
Utah$78,570180
Wisconsin$78,490450
Washington$78,320370
Colorado$77,840410
South Carolina$77,790320
Pennsylvania$77,2101,060
Alaska$76,49080
Tennessee$76,350310
West Virginia$76,34040
Florida$76,230430
Missouri$76,110330
Louisiana$75,410130
Texas$75,0901,460
Indiana$74,590660
Ohio$74,310960
Virginia$74,000890
Georgia$73,370280
New Mexico$71,72060
Arizona$71,230360
Alabama$70,580110
Kansas$65,890140
Kentucky$65,630180
North Dakota$64,54030
North Carolina$63,900690
Arkansas$62,900120
Oklahoma$61,58080
Mississippi$54,67060

How to become a college language teacher

In an O*NET survey of 21 workers, 73% said a doctoral degree is required, 18% said a master's degree and 9% said a bachelor's degree[21]. This is a small survey.

The training details come from a BLS profile covering postsecondary teachers as a wider group[22]. In that group, teachers with a doctorate often seek tenure, which may take up to 7 years[23].

What college language teachers do

O*NET describes the job as teaching languages and literature courses in languages other than English, including American Sign Language[24]. Typical tasks include:

Where they work

The largest employer group for postsecondary teachers is state colleges, universities and professional schools, at 41%[26]. Most postsecondary teachers work full time, though part-time work is common[27]. Classes are generally in the daytime, with some evening or weekend courses[28]. Teachers are usually on campus for classes and office hours, and otherwise set their own schedules[29]. Terms have breaks, and some teachers use summers for research[30].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 0.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 24,600 to 24,700 jobs[2]. For all occupations the projected growth is 3.5%[3]. These counts include self-employed workers[2].

About 1,600 openings a year are projected[6]. They include jobs opened by retirements and moves to other occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 3.5% of workers leave the labor force and 3% move to another occupation[31].

Is it a good fit?

The pay is above the all-occupation median, and the range is wide[1][4][5]. The path is long, since a doctoral degree is the typical entry education[7]. Job growth is close to flat[2]. The facts suggest it suits people who are ready for several years of graduate study and who value teaching and research.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[32].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a college Spanish instructor make?
The median pay for foreign language and literature teachers at the postsecondary level was $79,350 a year in May 2025[1].
What degree do you need to teach a foreign language in college?
BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry education[7]. Some community colleges may hire people with a master's degree[18].
Is college language teaching in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 0.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations[2][3]. About 1,600 openings a year are projected[6].
What is the highest paying state for college language teachers?
New Hampshire had the highest state median at $101,750[13].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in the US was $79,350 per year. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is projected to grow 0.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 24,600 to 24,700 jobs (a change of +100). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: 10th percentile $49,060, 25th percentile $62,510, 75th percentile $102,730, 90th percentile $136,050. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,600 openings for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: education needed for entry: Doctoral or professional degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  8. O*NET 25-1124.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Foreign Languages Professor, French Professor, German Professor, Instructor, Modern Languages Professor, Professor. O*NET OnLine
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary was $89,990 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS publishes only annual wages for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary, not hourly wages, because many work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary jobs: California 2,170; New York 1,520; Texas 1,460; Pennsylvania 1,060; Massachusetts 960. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (areas with at least 100 jobs): Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $171,660; Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $125,980; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $115,040; San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $106,050; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $99,100; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $98,600; Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $97,210; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $96,550. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,460 (median $98,600); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 800 (median $83,310); Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 650 (median $79,510); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 630 (median $99,100); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 500 (median $82,890); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 490 (median $80,940). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. O*NET 25-1124.00 survey of workers (21 respondents), education level they say is required: Doctoral Degree 73%, Master's Degree 18%, Bachelor's Degree 9% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  22. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Postsecondary Teachers" covers Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Advancement. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. O*NET description of Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET task list for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
  26. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of postsecondary teachers in 2025: Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state 41%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: 3.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  32. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.